Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 25

Andhaka’s Defeat, the Bhairava Manifestation, and His Redemption as Bhṛṅgī Gaṇapati

Devanagari script

वेगेनैवापतन्तं च बिभेदोरसि भैरवः दारुणं सुमहद् रूपं कृत्वा त्रैलोक्यभीषणम्

Transliteration

vegenaivāpatantaṃ ca bibhedorasi bhairavaḥ dāruṇaṃ sumahad rūpaṃ kṛtvā trailokyabhīṣaṇam

Translation

Ketika musuh menerjang dengan cepat, Bhairava menghantam dan membelah dadanya. Dengan mengambil wujud yang sangat dahsyat dan amat besar, ia menjadi mengerikan bagi tiga dunia.

Speakers

• Narrator voice describing Bhairava’s act and manifestation (no direct speech).

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Bhairava)

Key Themes

• Ugra-theophany (terrible divine manifestation)
• Cosmic sovereignty over the three worlds
• Defeat of demonic aggression
• Śaiva iconography and epithets

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What does ‘trailokya’ mean here, and why is Bhairava said to terrify it?

Trailokya denotes the three-tier cosmos (svarga, antarikṣa, pṛthvī). The phrase underscores that Bhairava’s manifestation is not merely battlefield-fearsome but cosmically overwhelming—an assertion of Rudra’s supremacy that shakes all realms.

Is ‘bibheda urasi’ necessarily a literal splitting of the chest?

In Purāṇic martial diction, ‘bibheda’ can denote piercing, cleaving, or violently breaking through defenses. It may be read literally as a devastating blow, while also functioning as a stylized marker of irresistible divine force.

How is Bhairava related to Śiva in this passage?

Bhairava is an aspect-name of Śiva emphasizing terror, protective wrath, and the power to annihilate adharma. The text signals a shift from the mounted, regal Śiva to an intensified, fearsome combat-form.